The Triple Threat 3

New plan would nearly triple Yellowstone daily snowmobile limit

Gentlemen, stroke your engines: The National Park Service has issued a draft plan that would nearly triple the number of snowmobiles allowed into Yellowstone National Park each day, from 250 to 720. While the limit is lower than the average number entering the park daily before the Clinton administration put the practice on ice -- a move reversed by the Bush administration -- it's still freakin' high. "The facts and science gave [NPS] a direction to take, then they softened, twisted, and contorted the science," says former park superintendent Michael Finley. "The plan deserves to be challenged. It deserves burial in deep snow." Other fans of peace, quiet, clean air, and critters agreed, but supporters of the new plan pointed out that it would allow only guided trips and would require noise-reduction gadgets on accompanying snow coaches. "We can achieve [natural-resource protection] goals with a managed program," said one park staffer. A final draft will be released for public comment in March.

source: The New York Times, Jim Robbins, 05 Feb 2007

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  1. sailbeb Posted 4:11 am
    05 Feb 2007

    regulating the wrong thingHere they go again ............
      The  "fans of peace, quiet, clean air, and critters"  are again trying to regulate the wrong thing.  Is it too much noise?-- set a limit on noise.. too dirty?.. set a limit on pollution. You might even end up with quieter less polluting snowmobiles and alot more ( trucks, jet skis, leaf blowers ( yes Carrboro NC tried to ban leaf blowers ), lawn mowers...all kinds  of noisy dirty stuff leaps to mind ) but instead these "fans" usually jump one group of folks and demonize them.  
        I've love to ride a quiet solar powered snowmobile thru yellowstone...  Beth

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  2. caniscandida Posted 3:26 pm
    05 Feb 2007

    abominable snowmobilesIt is incredible that the Bushies could be so insensitive on such a simple matter.  What really do they have to gain, from limiting the use of snowmobiles in one of America's "crown jewels"?  Classic Cheneyism: Americans should not be encouraged to conserve; Americans should not be discouraged from using loud, energy-wasting vehicles; Americans should know that not a single acre of public land is off limits to any kind of development or exploitation.
    Is Michael Finley a relative of Russ Finley, aka our very own BioD?

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  3. edwa8511 Posted 6:59 am
    06 Feb 2007

    Give it a restMy family has been sledding since before I was around.  My 85 year old grandma had to give it up just a few seasons ago.  What is the damage that is being claimed against snowmobiles?  The old ones may have been loud and smelly, but these new four-stoke machines are amazing; some of them you can hardly hear them from a distance.  As far as the wildlife, what we see couldn't care less about us; I've had to go way off of a trail because of moose napping in the middle of it.  There is no damage being done to the landscape either.  Go out to were we sled during the summer and try to find evidence of us being there, assuming you are able to get as far off of the road as we do.  There are always a few bad apples, just do your homework before passing judgement on the sport.  Thanks.

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